Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr didn't have a farm at the Hull-House Settlement, but they did have plans to build a healthier and more just society. Jane Addams believed that nutrition and food security would lead to more peaceful communities, and under her direction the Hull-House Settlement created a public kitchen and coffee house, organized around healthy milk, taught cooking classes, and worked to feed the hungry at home and abroad. Addams’ creative solutions to the issues of hunger and health are an inspiration to us as we face similar challenges today.

The Heirloom Farm is a multi-use space for such projects as growing vegetables for Re-thinking Soup and our canning project, a restaurant partnership with Chef Bill Kim’s Urban Belly, an outdoor exhibition, farm-to-school programs for local public schools, and food-focused museum tours and activities. The farm’s success relies on a number of partnerships within UIC including the Office of Sustainability and the Department of Biological Sciences.